IMAGE Business Woman of the Year 2015 Judges Lunch

Dita Von Teese Talks Marriage To Marilyn Manson

Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese isn’t one to talk of her private life, choosing to focus on her stage career and beauty and fashion collaborations but the enigmatic starlet has opened up about her previous marriage to singer Marilyn Manson, revealing that the pair remains on good terms, even after a very public separation.

Back in 2006, the couple’s split provided much fodder for gossip websites the world over, but less is spoken of the fact that the two got past the turbulent times and now speak affectionately of their time together.

They were deemed one of the most eccentric couples of the time and hence they were rarely out of the press. Manson and Von Teese met in 2001, reportedly became acquainted with each other backstage at one of his gigs over a bottle of absinthe (as you do), collaborated on various projects together before marrying in a lavish ceremony at Gurteen Castle here in Ireland. They split a year later, and Von Teese told Khloe Kardashian that things are now very amicable between them.

Appearing on Khloe Kardashian’s chat show, Kocktails With Khloe (did anyone else even know she had a chat show?), Von Teese spoke positively of their relationship, praising Manson for supporting her career and encouraging her “eccentricities” during their seven years as partners.

“He was super encouraging,” she said. “There was a lot of cross-over in our careers, and he would have that creativeness… he encouraged all of my eccentricities. He did a whole album that was burlesque themed, and we made music videos together. I can speak fondly about him now. If you had asked me four years ago, I would have shut it down. We’re friends now, and it’s fine.” The former couple frequently worked together on each other’s projects; she appeared in a number of his music videos and on his tracks.

However, according to Von Teese, the relationship was unable to withstand the constant tabloid scrutiny, and she explained that she felt pressure to go through with the public furor surrounding the wedding, despite having doubts about it.

“I feel like getting married was sort of like the kiss of death for us because it was sort of like the nail in the coffin. I felt obliged to go through with the ceremony in a way because so much was riding on it like Vogue was photographing it, and it was in this castle,” she explained. “I just thought, ‘Oh well.’”

Stories of unamicable celebrity splits are the norm these days, so it’s encouraging to see some public figures pave the way and affirm that a separation isn’t all nannies and inappropriate photos on family iPads.